Canada’s labor minister said Tuesday he is intervening to end lockouts of workers at the country’s two biggest ports.Labor Minister Steven Mackinnon said the negotiations have reached an impasse and he is directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the resumption of all operations at the ports of Vancouver and Montreal and move the talks to binding arbitration.

The port's employers locked out 1,200 dockworkers after they rejected a "final" contract offer Sunday, closing four major container terminals.